


Gyftmas Temptation

by Kasbaka



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gyftmas (Undertale), Secret Santa, Sexual Content, Undertale Skeletons in Heat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:48:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26792401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasbaka/pseuds/Kasbaka
Summary: Red has suffered through heats in the past, going through one on the surface won't be any different. He just has to buckle down and get through it like always. But he's never had the temptation of so many helpful and caring friends before, and he can't quite seem to get his mind to stop wandering to the possibilities.
Relationships: CherryBerry, HoneyMustard, Kustard, Papyrus/Sans (Undertale), Sans/Sans (Undertale)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 88





	Gyftmas Temptation

**Author's Note:**

> It's not the right season, but considering my job will be sucking the life from me for the next couple months, I just wanted to write anything I could.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

It was too hot to be almost Gyftmas.

Red dragged himself through the house, his bare feet scuffling across the carpet in a way that Edge would scold him for if he heard it. He barely tolerated the sweaty tank top and shorts he threw on, only so his brother couldn’t yell at him for sleeping nude on the couch again.

That sounded pretty good actually. Open the window, let the cold winter air in, and snooze a few more hours on the couch…

The thought was abruptly ruined by the obnoxious clattering coming from the kitchen. He grumbled to himself, thoughts of further sleep being torn away by whatever stupid project his brother deemed worthwhile to work on at fuck-o’clock in the morning. He lifted the window open, the cold breeze immediately flowing through his bones.

It was a blessed relief; a pleasurable shiver running down him involuntarily and he hung onto the window pane, his skull resting against the glass as he let himself bask in the refreshing feeling.

It was good, but it wasn’t quite enough. He felt a tense, building pressure he couldn’t seem to shake off. He sighed and skulked to the couch, flopping unceremoniously onto his face. He was content to lay there, half falling off the cushions, for about five seconds. He wriggled around uncomfortably, his own heat soaking into the fabric and quickly becoming unbearable again. He twisted himself in an attempt to cool down, but only managed to tangle his shirt around his ribs. He snarled in frustration, ripping the offensive article off and throwing it across the room.

Better. If he didn’t have this annoying itch in his sacrum maybe he actually could get some sleep. He scratched at it, digging his fingers roughly into the bone. Fuck yeah, there we go. Felt better the further down his coccyx he went. That itch wasn’t going away though. If anything, it was getting worse. Kinda like…

Oh. _Oh._

Realization hit him like a brick to the face. He pulled his hand away like it was burned, forcing himself still on the couch. The itch seemed to quickly turn into a tingling pressure he couldn’t ignore now that he’d noticed it, worsening with every passing moment.

He hadn’t gone through a heat since they were back in the Fell, over a year ago. Even then they weren’t that common, maybe once or twice a year depending on how unlucky you were. He’d kinda figured it wouldn’t happen anymore now that they were on the surface. None of the others had a clue what it was when he’d mentioned it, and some things were specific to their universe. He’d shrugged it off like one less job he needed to worry about. Apparently, that decided to bite him in the ass.

_Like someone’s teeth on his sacrum, licking the sting away before pushing their tongue against the foramen—_

No, no, absolutely not. Fuck right off with that nonsense.

“Why is it so fucking cold in—Damnit Sans! You opened a window? We pay for heat, you know.” Edge stalked to the open window, slamming it shut and locking it before turning to glare at the small, half-dressed skeleton on the couch. His angry expression quickly changed at the sight of his brother, his eyes running a hasty assessment that made Red want to throw a pillow at him.

“You’re ill,” not a question, a statement.

“Fuck off, Boss, m’fine,” maybe Edge wouldn’t notice the tension in his voice.

Nope, he’s glaring, he noticed.

“Your joints are glowing, so not food poisoning. You’re sweating and breathing rapidly…you’re in heat.”

“What the fuck kind of deduction is that Doctor Bonehead? You just described a thousand things.”

“You’re gripping the sides of the couch. You’re not in pain, you’re afraid to have your hands on yourself. And don’t forget who’s cared for you in the past during this. I know you better than anyone.”

Red looked away, grumbling a little affirmation. Heats in the Fell could be dangerous. You couldn’t just disappear for a few days without someone putting two and two together. That was asking for bad company. You had to act like everything was normal; keep spare clothes in your inventory, stay away from others without drawing attention, and definitely not let yourself get sweet-talked by anyone. And even that only lasted so long.

Edge always helped him, said he felt sympathetic because his magic pool ran so deep that his heats hit him like a freight train. It mostly affected lower HP monsters so Edge never had to go through it. Just another bonus to being a low HP loser. It was even worse for monsters whose junk was formed with magic. They craved both ends and never seemed quite satisfied. At least, that’s what Alphys said. He didn’t exactly read a book on this shit.

So, Edge would send him to his sentry station to roll around in the snow while he was coherent enough to keep up appearances. He kept the Dogs away. And then would lock him in the ~~shed~~ dungeon through the worst of it so he wouldn’t be tempted to make any poor decisions. He’d even managed to delay a Judgement once, which had cost him greatly, but saved Red from being the Royal Fucktoy. He never managed to pay him back for that one. The Boss was just too cool.

“We’ll cancel our plans this evening. I told Undyne I would work a shift this morning to cover at the Embassy, and you aren’t in any condition to be running errands. Perhaps if you considered not procrastinating literally everything until the day of, we might have had some leeway.”

He knew the Boss was prodding just to get a rise out of him; keep his mind off his pelvis. If he really had an issue with his procrastinating, he would have said so a week ago. But Edge had been looking forward to tonight. Not that he’d said as much, but Red could tell by the way he’d painstakingly fussed over what meal to bring and what gift to buy. The ‘Secret Santa’ that Papyrus was so excited about wasn’t going to work out if two people didn’t show up.

Well, fuck that. He owed the Boss this much.

Red sat up abruptly, glaring daggers at the tall skeleton to hide the ~~amazing~~ awful feeling that pulsed through him when his sacrum dragged across the couch just then.

“Gimmie the fucking list, I’ll get it done with time to spare. And we’re going tonight. I’m not some slobbering animal with no control over myself.”

Edge hummed to himself, considering. Red held his gaze, daring him to challenge him. After a minute, Edge sighed, pulling a list of groceries from his pocket and handing it over.

“I’ll return later to prepare the meal; it won’t take long. And don’t forget your gift for Papyrus, you can get the store to wrap it for you.”

“Fine. Anything else?”

Edge looked him over once again, as if trying to find an excuse to back out of this. Red sat up a little straighter. Go ahead and try to find one.

“…Be careful, brother. We haven’t gone through this on the surface yet. We don’t know how humans will react, if at all. Call me if anything happens.”

It caught Red a little off guard. He and the Boss operated comfortably in snappy sarcasm, and less so in fuzzy honesty. He dropped his gaze to his bony knees.

“Yeah, yeah. Fuck off now, will ya’ Boss? Undyne’ll be waiting.”

Edge nodded, taking the next few minutes to finish gathering his things before he left. Red sighed, letting himself sink against the couch. It was fine. It wasn’t that bad yet, uncomfortable but not unbearable. He’d shower, get dressed, and go about things like he’d planned.

It would be fine.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The cold shower he took didn’t help cool him down any. He opted for a t-shirt instead of his normal sweater, but still wore his jacket to maintain appearances. Plus, it doubled as a handy barrier between himself and anyone who might accidentally wander too close. But he was sweating by the time he’d walked into town and reached the grocery store.

Thankfully, everyone seemed to instinctively move away from him. He was used to it, with his scarred face and charming personality, but it was more apparent today. He must have been portraying a real aura of ‘fuck off’ which kept all the skittish humans back. Good, he didn’t need to fight any slow old ladies in the vegetable aisle then.

He filled his basket, checking to make sure he had everything the Boss needed off the list. And he’d deny to his death that he side-eyed any of the larger, phallic looking gourds. That would just be ridiculous. Although, what he wouldn’t give to have something firm and hard to fill him up right about now. He could just rock on it, just a little, and it would be enough—

Nope. He gripped the handle of the basket hard enough to dig into his hand, the pain helping him steady himself. It didn’t take away the heaviness that settled into his pelvis, but he knew that wasn’t going away for a couple days. In the meantime, he was definitely going to sink his head into the frozen section for a few minutes.

He was face-deep between mint-chocolate chip and peanut butter swirl when the shrill excited voice startled him, “Red! It’s great to see you! Last minute shopping!?”

He jumped back, slamming the door shut guiltily. Before he could react, he found himself enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

It was the first time anyone had touched him while he’d been in heat. Edge was always so careful to only handle him by his collar or coat when it was just them. Warmth and want flared through his bones like a storm. He only vaguely realized that Blue was still talking a mile a minute against the side of his face. He didn’t register any of it. Time felt slow and hazy, like he was high.

Even with the obstruction of both their coats between them, Red could feel the firmness of healthy bone through it. He’d been shocked frozen, unmoving, his hands locked against his own sides at the first touch. But now, they itched to reach out. Blue’s hips were so close to his own. He could just pull them together. With shaking hands, he reached forward, the bottom of Blue’s coat barely in his fingertips when the excited skeleton jumped back as quickly as he’d moved in, leaving Red feeling shocked with cold and emptiness.

“Hey, are you alright? You’re shaking! You must be freezing, how rude of me! Come over here where it’s warmer!” Blue grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along. Red was too stunned to resist. Those fingers against his arm were firm and confident. And he was still talking, something about his brother and the party later. He was an endless pool of energy, never tiring, always ready for more.

He wanted that. Someone that could keep him occupied for the next three days. All enthusiastic eagerness…

It had never hit him like this in the Fell. He’d always been alone, burying himself in the snow to try and numb the coalescing magic in his bones for a few hours. But around Blue, this harmless, trusting soul, everything was so much more intense. He’d be safe in his bed. The risk wasn’t there. So why was he resisting?

‘Because he’s not actually propositioning you, you idiot,’ the small logical portion of his mind supplied.

He’d never looked at Blue and thought ‘get in the sack with me’ but now he couldn’t think of anything he’d like more. It’d be amazing.

_He was on the floor; they didn’t even make it to the bedroom before Blue had pinned him down to kiss him. He couldn’t keep up; Blue was everywhere at once. Strong hands running along his chest and arms before wrapping around his skull to pull him into a kiss deeper than he’d ever had. His tongue explored with as much enthusiasm as the rest of him. He tasted spicy and amazing. He could kiss him all day if the rest of his body didn’t so impatiently want more._

_He didn’t know exactly when they’d lost their clothes, he could have sworn they were here a second ago, but it didn’t matter. All he had left was that colorful scarf, which looked so endearing compared to his own vicious spiked collar. But the way Blue looked down at him, as if he were something treasured and wonderful, it spread a warmth across him that left him longing for further touch._

_Blue thrust his lovely wet cunt down across his aching cock and Red groaned with desperate need. He reached to grab onto those perfect looking hips but his hands were quickly caught, their fingers laced together. Blue brought them to his face and nuzzled them lovingly._

_“I’ve already prepared myself for you,” he whispered, a shy secret that brought a flush across his beautiful face. A kiss was placed on each of his hands before they were let go. Blue took ahold of his member, and Red’s breathing picked up as he felt the excited little clench as they were lined up together._

_“The Magnificent Sans has you. Are you ready for me, Red?”_

Red nodded.

“That’s wonderful! Incredibly helpful! Thank you so much, my friend! Here’s his wallet when you catch up to him. Don’t forget, he’s at the little thrift shop two blocks down, not the one near the mall. Anyways, I’ll see you later for the festivities! Happy shopping!”

Just as quickly as he’d come around, he was gone. Red’s whole body ached, and he felt crushingly alone, which had never been a symptom of his heats in the past. He brushed the unfamiliar feeling aside and focused on the state of his body. He was still trembling, and couldn’t seem to make it stop. He’d unwillingly formed a cock, which was throbbing and painful with unsatisfied need.

He just had to keep pressing on, like a normal day. It was fine. He looked down at the wallet that had been thrust into his hands. Well, at least he didn’t have to decide where to do his Gyftmas shopping.

*~*~*~*~*~*

He unzipped his jacket, too hot after his encounter with Blue. He wandered aimlessly through the store, focusing more on the worn floor tiles than finding Stretch. The faint smell of cigarette smoke pulled him in the general direction that he assumed would lead him to the gangly skeleton.

How was he going to look at Stretch when he’d just fantasized about banging his brother?

Sure enough, the familiar bright orange hoodie made its appearance. Stretch had a lazy stance, looking across a selection of silly ornaments before he noticed the small Fell-monster. His eyelights lit up in surprise and he offered a friendly smile. He looked warm and inviting.

Ok, apparently, he’d look at him quite easily.

He willed his body to settle, keeping a relatively safe distance from the other, “Forget something?” he muttered, holding the wallet out. Stretch gave him a confused look, checking his pockets as if he’d find an identical wallet there despite one being in Red’s hand.

“Huh, wouldja look at that. Good thing you showed up,” Stretch took the offered item, and Red desperately tried to ignore the shock to his system when their hands brushed together. It wasn’t even sexy, settle the fuck down.

“Ran into your bro…” Red distracted himself with a selection of ugly sweaters. There was one with bones on it, and dinosaurs that were also made of bones. It even had lights strung into it. Perfect, check, gift gotten, time to head home. He pulled the sweater off the hanger roughly and turned to leave when a set of long fingers wrapped around his shoulder. He froze.

“Here, for your trouble, you look like you need it,” an offered cigarette held so close he could smell it. Maybe it would help settle his shaking before he started sounding like a maraca. He accepted it, placing it between his sharp teeth. He mourned the loss of that warm hand on him as Stretch reached into his hoodie and pulled out his lighter. Before Red could reach for it, Stretch leaned down, cupping the cigarette to light it, despite there being no wind inside the store. He’d forgotten Stretch didn’t lend his lighter out, ever since someone accidentally pocketed it.

He almost forgot to breathe; they were so close. He didn’t need to be this close; his arms were long enough to just reach down and light it from a comfortable distance. Suddenly, the cigarette wasn’t enough. Red wanted nothing more than to pull Stretch down the rest of the distance and get a contact high directly from his mouth.

Stretch would be down for it, too. He’d probably done that sort of thing all the time before they met. He’d just be the next in line…

_The whole room was hazy with smoke. They lounged in Stretch’s bed, still in their t-shirts since they could screw around with them on, so why bother taking them off? Red was between his legs, lazing against his thin, bony chest. Stretch helpfully had a supply of smokes to last them for a few days so they could simply unwind and enjoy each other._

_He didn’t care what he formed, or what Stretch formed. Whatever they got, they played with. No stress, no fuss. They rubbed their cocks together, and Red loved it because he was small enough to sprawl across Stretch while they did it. And when Red’s body needed to be filled, Stretch just rolled them over and pushed into him._

_The larger skeleton’s weight against his back, pushing him against the soft comforter, it was perfect. They didn’t need excessive stamina for this. Stretch moved slowly in him, like everything he did in life. He wrapped his long arm around Red, pulling him in close, so they could gently rock together._

_Yes, this felt right. It wasn’t the nauseating desperation he was used to from his heats. And yet, it still satisfied him down to his soul. He felt fulfilled. He’d never felt this good. He didn’t want it to end. He gripped Stretch’s hand where it rested against his ribs and held on tight._

_Couldn’t he have this, just this once?_

_“You’re gonna have to let go, Red.”_

_No…please…_

“You’ve crushed it, buddy. You’re gonna burn your hand,” Stretch gently pried Red’s death grip off the cigarette, tossing it to the floor and stepping on it.

“Dude, what’s wrong? You having some kinda panic attack?” Red looked up at Stretch’s concerned face. So much for stopping his shakes, they were worse now. He gripped the ugly sweater in his hands, wringing it tightly. He knew if he moved them, he’d reach for Stretch. He’d pull him into that changing room over there and make him see the stars.

Stretch didn’t ask for that.

“I-I gotta go.”

“Wait, let me walk you home—”

“No! I got it. I’m fine. I’ll just… see you at the party later. Probably,” he refused eye contact and quickly retreated, throwing money on the counter without bothering to get change.

*~*~*~*~*~*

He needed to cool down. Even with the light snow falling, it was sweltering. He pulled his jacket off as he walked. That helped, but what he really wanted to do was bury himself in the snow until he was numb, like he used to back in the Fell. But this wasn’t the Underground. Everywhere there were homes and humans and it raised his hackles thinking about it.

Although, there was a small park off the beaten path not too far from here that Sans had showed him. It wasn’t visible from any of the roads and the trail was so overgrown that nobody went out of their way to get through it.

It was the better option compared to spending the next few hours sweating on the floor of the house.

The snow in the park was untouched, nobody having entered it for some time. He haphazardly flopped into a sizable pile near a rotting old wooden fort, because despite the change of scenery he still felt safer with something to his back.

His bones protested the sudden change in temperature, but he had been shivering from stimulation anyways, so really what was the big deal. He’d made himself sick doing this in the past, but he didn’t care. Edge would yell at him, saying that cooling off and burying yourself for an entire sentry shift weren’t the same thing.

Like this, though, he could try to doze off, watching the clouds and snow, mind blissfully empty and let his stupid body work through its bullshit.

He let himself drift off, and saw Blue. His face was flushed and eyes half lidded in ecstasy from where he had himself situated on Red’s cock. He whimpered as he moved—

Nope.

Red huffed in annoyance. His magic had formed and he was badly tempted to rub it, but he knew it wouldn’t help. He kept his hands buried in the snow beside him.

He closed his eyes again, forcibly willing away any images of the small peppy skeleton. He focused on the snow and the cold; how he could feel the flakes hitting his face and slowly burying him, if he gave it enough time.

It wasn’t long before he started to doze again, his heat always drained his energy. He was too tired for this. It was too much work, but Stretch wouldn’t mind if he just laid here and took it for a while. He could just close his eyes and bask in the feeling of being satisfyingly full. It felt so good he couldn’t help but arch his back into it, a small moan escaping him—

Damnit.

It was going to be a long afternoon.

*~*~*~*~*~*

He didn’t sleep so much as close his eyes and ignore everything around him. It would help just enough to get him through today. He would make a brief appearance at the party tonight, ‘Here I am, as expected, nothing to see,’ before locking himself up for a few days. Away from the temptation of others, away from his own desperate decisions, away from the danger.

Everything would be fine.

He chose to ignore the way his soul clenched at the thought of being alone in the dark when he was most vulnerable. It obviously didn’t understand that was best, safest.

“Oh my God! Is that a body!?”

He jumped, trying to get to his feet to defend himself but only succeeded in slipping in the half-melted slush around him. He gasped as his body shuddered hard in ~~pleasure~~ pain. He wanted to shortcut away, but his magic was already so unreliable he couldn’t draw on it properly. He probably couldn’t even form a bone attack and someone was coming—

“Oh my God!! That body moved!”

Oh no. No, no, no.

“Oh Red, it’s just you! Are you trying to make snow angels? Because, no offense, it could use a little work.”

Papyrus leaned over him, his grin fading slightly, “You don’t look so good. You’re very wet and it’s very cold outside. Don’t you know you can catch a cold like this? I swear, between you and Sans—”

Red tried to push himself up onto shaky knees. Papyrus was still talking but he wasn’t listening. He’d let his legs get a little too numb and now he couldn’t feel them properly. They wobbled and collapsed under his weight.

“—so I told Sans that he should get Frisk and I would start preparing snowballs—Whoa, hang on Red, let The Great Papyrus help you out!”

Before Red’s addled mind could register the statement, Papyrus had him scooped into his arms, settling his head against his shoulder.

“Not to worry! I’ll bring you home and make you some soup. The snowball fight can wait. You’re much more important!”

He couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped him. It was all too much at once. The warmth of Papyrus, so comforting and welcoming compared to the heat-sweat of the past few hours. He smelled nice, like he’d worn some festive MTT-brand cologne for the party today. And he was bringing him home…to take care of him…

It wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be thinking about Papyrus this way. But the time spent lying in the snow hadn’t prepared him for the tender-kindhearted skeleton to literally sweep him off his feet. He wanted him, like he wanted the others, his soul desperate for any connection it could latch onto and his body so willingly close behind it.

And Papyrus would be amazing.

_“You’re doing so well,” the praise alone was almost more than he could handle. He wasn’t used to those words; he didn’t know how to respond._

_It was only exacerbated by the long generous fingers bushing deep inside him. Papyrus held him close, his back to the broader ribcage. He couldn’t hold himself up on his knees anymore because he’d been edged for so long. When he’d collapsed, shaking with overstimulation, the larger skeleton simply held him up to continue. He was so strong, he handled Red like it was nothing._

_And never let it be said that this innocent Papyrus wasn’t a master of torture._

_Tears covered Red’s face and every breath was a frantic whimper. Papyrus curled his fingers and Red cried out, but it wasn’t enough. He knew it wasn’t enough. He meant to keep playing._

_“That’s right, you enjoy it right here? I’ll help you_ —”

“—get settled with some extra blankets on the couch. Then, I’ll text your brother so you can focus on getting some rest!”

Red hastily opened his inventory, grabbing the last item and shoving it against Papyrus’s chest, causing him to stumble. Red pushed himself out of his arms, immediately feeling the need to crawl back against him. He managed to stay on his feet this time and started to back away.

“What is this? A sweater? Is this my Secret Santa gift!? Red, it’s perfect, I love it! Did you give it to me because you won’t be at the party tonight? That’s so thoughtful of you. I’m going to wear it right now!”

Red used it as his opportunity to escape.

*~*~*~*~*~*

He slammed the front door shut and sank against it. He was a sopping wet, shaking mess. He needed a shower and some fresh clothes. Something to drink, when did his mouth get so dry? He needed…he needed…

He didn’t know what.

He wouldn’t get anywhere sitting on the floor sulking. He tossed Edge’s grocery bags on the floor before dragging himself upstairs for the second time, turning the water as cold as he could tolerate it. It didn’t help.

He still felt their hands on him. He felt the pleasant warmth of their magic against his own. He saw the way they looked at him, like he was something that mattered.

Red shook his head against that thought. It wasn’t what this was about. He dropped onto his knees, letting the water run through him. His cunt throbbed and Red shoved a pair of fingers inside himself roughly to make it stop. It hurt; it didn’t feel good at all. In fact, it made it worse when it was supposed to make it better. He didn’t care, rubbing himself painfully until he forced an orgasm from his body. He shuddered, feeling even more desperate than before.

He removed his hand, his magic dispersing angrily at the treatment. Red laid down, trying to stop feeling everything. If the water running from his eye sockets was warmer than the ice water spraying into his body, he’d stop feeling that soon too.

*~*~*~*~*~*

When he finally trudged downstairs, he heard Edge in the kitchen. Was it the afternoon already? How long had he been upstairs?

He dragged himself into the kitchen, the smell of food nauseating him. He grabbed a glass of water and stood awkwardly at their little table, not trusting himself to sit with the way pressure continued to build in his hip box despite his efforts.

“You look like shit.”

Red turned a tired grin towards his brother, “I always look this good.”

Edge was assessing him again. It had been a few hours and he’d gone significantly further downhill than either of them anticipated.

“I received texts from both Stretch and Papyrus. They were very concerned but I assured them you were simply under the weather.”

Red nodded absently. His body was reacting to the dumbest things. The thought of them being ‘very concerned’ shouldn’t have sounded so appealing, but his bones tingled at the thought of it. Maybe they’d be concerned enough to come over…

He felt Edge’s presence behind him. He’d gotten distracted and let him come up on him. All that would do is show Edge that he wasn’t in enough condition to look after himself, if someone could get close enough to get an attack off before Red could dodge. It wasn’t normally until the second or third day that it was this bad. His grip on the glass tightened, his breathing becoming unsteady and he pointedly refused to look at him. Not when he was this close.

It wouldn’t be the first time he’d begged the Boss to fuck him. He’d do anything, give him anything. But Edge always maintained his composure, never giving Red an inch of leeway. It was for his own good, he’d tell him.

But things were different now; even the Boss had to admit that. Their lives had changed for the better. They could indulge in things they couldn’t before. He could finally do right by him, if he’d just give him the chance…

_The Boss always had to be in control. That was fine. Red didn’t mind getting on his knees and being used. There was something reassuring about the way Edge handled him, rough but never careless._

_So, when Edge tied his arms behind his back and put him between his knees in front of the couch, he still felt the same secure warmth in his bones that he always did when it came to his brother. He felt safe._

_Red leaned his head against the Boss’ warm femur, waiting for direction. He just needed some contact. Edge stroked the side of his face, drawing his gaze upwards to meet his own. He looked so powerful. He could have been King of the Fell and Red would have served him in a second._

_Edge’s thumb grazed against Red’s bottom set of teeth, encouraging it open. Red obediently conjured his tongue, letting Edge run his thumb across it. It was wet and ready for him, and the pleased little hum sent a shiver down Red’s spine._

_Edge reached for his belt, “This is for your own good, dear brother.”_

_Red blinked and everything was dark. He was alone and it was cold. The only visible thing was the door to their dungeon that he’d recognize anywhere. He jostled the handle with his newly unbound hands only to find it unsurprisingly locked. He pounded his fist against the door, “Boss! Wait, I-I can do better! Just…don’t leave me in here. Please!”_

_There was no answer. There never was. There was no reasoning with an animal in heat. And that’s all he was, when it came down to it. A liability with too great of a magic pool to be trusted. He sank onto his knees, his claws digging against the wood._

_He wanted to be touched. Anywhere. By anyone. It was so much worse than the heats of his past, when all he had to focus on was the painful discomfort of his magic. Now, he had faces, names, personalities to tempt him. He wanted them, wanted their attention. The guilt of it did not escape him. As much as he craved it, he knew it was wrong. They didn’t deserve this._

_Alphys was right. He would never be satisfied. He didn’t deserve to be satisfied._

“Sans!”

Edge grabbed him by the wrist, startling him from his wakeful nightmare. The glass in his hand had shattered at some point, although he hadn’t noticed the shards digging into his hand, a small stream of blood dripping onto the table. He felt mesmerized by the color and grew dizzy as he stared at it.

The Boss had made an error. He was plucking some of the smaller glass bits from between the bones of his hand. Touching him.

It felt—

It felt…

Red seized his brother’s wrist tightly, stopping him from his ministrations. When Edge met his gaze, he could see the barely controlled lust in them. It was then he’d realized what he’d done. Red ran his fingers along the rough bone, lightly grazing the scars from breaks that had long since healed over. He pulled Edge’s arm towards him and nuzzled a particularly bad one. Edge could feel the heat of his breath.

“Brother—”

“It’s time. Let’s just get this over with,” when he dropped Edge’s arm, it felt like something in him shattered. He was still too hot, still trembling with need, but the notion of having another warm body to press against finally cleared. His mind felt empty, like it used to. There was some comfort in the familiarity of it.

The Boss carefully grabbed him by his collar and guided him out back. Their dungeon wasn’t what it used to be; now filled with gardening tools instead of torture equipment. That was fine, he wasn’t exactly feeling picky about his cage.

“Do you have food in your inventory?” Red wouldn’t look at him, and he received no answer. Edge sighed, pulling a few granola bars, a water bottle, and some bandages from his own inventory and setting them on the nearby workbench. As he shut the door, he took another look at his brother; barefoot and no coat, he looked so much smaller than normal. He looked defeated and lifeless. Things weren’t the same now that they were on the surface, but not in the way Edge had originally thought.

Red heard the familiar locks setting into place. This is when Edge would always tell him ‘This is for your own good’ through the door.

There was only silence.

*~*~*~*~*~*

He slept, sort of. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed as he laid on the floor. His mind was blissfully empty, even if his bones jittered with his excess magic pulsing through them. Back in familiar territory, he’d hold out a couple days and put all this behind him.

Hopefully for another year. Or forever.

The tingling magic up his spine was his only warning before a shortcut opened up. He didn’t need to turn around to know who was there, so he kept his eyelights glued firmly on the wall.

“hey buddy, rough day?”

Red’s silence didn’t deter the easy-going skeleton, “everyone was pretty concerned. your bro tried to play it off, but even he broke down after we dug into him a bit. he’s worried, ya’ know? thinks maybe he made the wrong call locking you in here.”

“He didn’t.”

“maybe i’m missing something, but why here? not exactly comfortable.”

“It’s gonna get worse, Sans. I’m a liability out there,” just hearing Sans smooth voice was sending his soul pounding.

Sans was quiet for a moment before speaking, “we should have set up a plan when you first mentioned this. you wouldn’t be in this situation. i’m sorry, Red.”

“No—don’t. S’not yer problem. But you gotta leave. Now,” his breathing had gotten heavier and more strained from one moment to the next.

“ok, i’m going. i just need one thing,” Red covered his mouth, and if Sans heard the quiet muffled moan, he ignored it. Red’s mind was more than happy to supply what exactly it thought _Sans needed_ as well as exactly what Red was going to give to him.

“i want you to look me in the eyes and tell me this is what you really want.”

He felt stripped bare already. Sans wanted to look at him, wanted to see through him. He was the only one who could so easily see through the heat and know if what Red was saying was the truth or just the howlings of a pathetic animal. It was the main reason why Edge wouldn’t touch him whenever it started up; he would never take advantage of his own brother when he was vulnerable. He never really understood that Red would have been alright with it, but they chose to never talk about it after. It was easier that way.

But this wasn’t Edge. It wasn’t the Fell. And Red didn’t have the fight to continue denying himself. Or was he just talking himself into bad decisions like he’d always been warned about? It sure didn’t feel that way.

Sans patiently waited while Red struggled with himself. With shaky hands he turned himself around, looking at Sans for the first time. He had situated himself on top of their storage crate, legs dangling over the edge. Maybe it was because he was sprawled out on the floor, but Sans seemed particularly tall and imposing, looking down at him from his perch.

Fuck, the Judge never looked so good.

Red crawled the few paces until he was beneath Sans; bringing himself onto his knees and grabbing Sans’s tibias. He brought his face forward and nuzzled one, taking in the scent of his bone, the texture of it beneath his fingers.

Oops, that wasn’t what he’d meant to do, but Sans hadn’t kicked him off yet so…

He pulled his eyelights upward to meet his gaze, “I…can’t do this anymore—it’s not the same. I can’t stop thinking about everyone…it’s painful to be alone.” Red felt heat in his throat and his eyes watered, which he fought back. He was already a pitiful heat-crazed animal, he wasn’t going to be a whining crying one too.

For a minute Sans just watched him. This must be how people felt when they were judged: ripped open, nowhere to hide, awaiting punishment.

Red cherished the feeling of the bone beneath his fingers, knowing any moment it would be taken away.

Sans sighed, and a heaviness that had settled in the room felt lifted when he gave a relaxed grin, “well, thank the stars for that. i thought i’d have to give you this stupid Gyftmas card with the scratch-offs inside. this is way better. ok, buddy, wanna take this to your room?”

“…what?”

“i’m saying i’ll hang with you until your heat’s passed. can’t think of a better way to spend a few days, honestly. kinda a shame it was such a rough thing in the Fell, because i think we’re gonna have a great time.”

He was offering to stay? Did he understand what that meant?

Red felt so shell-shocked he hadn’t realized that Sans had at some point snagged the bandages Edge left behind and was wrapping Red’s still-bloodied hand up.

“But…why? Why would you?”

“why would i skip work for a few days to have lots of sex? or why would i have lots of sex to help out a buddy? you’re gonna have to clarify the question."

“You don’t owe me anything. I don’t want you to regret—” It was getting more difficult to get every word out when his body was practically begging him to just accept it. It would be easy to just wrap his arms around Sans’s waist and pull him down with him.

Sans brought his hands to Red’s face, tracing the curve of the bone with his fingers. He must have felt the way Red shivered, rendered incapable of argument with that one gentle touch. From this angle, he could see the glow of Red’s soul through the thin t-shirt he wore. There was something about it that called to his own in response the longer he had his hands on him, an earnest and tempting pull. Did his heat affect souls that came too close? He didn’t know, and honestly, it didn’t matter right now. It wasn’t going to change his answer.

“i think you got this all mixed up. a little casual screwing around isn’t something many of us get too worked up about. if i wasn’t interested i wouldn’t be offering. and if you don’t want me, i’ll betcha one of the others would be happy to come over instead,” Sans felt Red’s grip on his legs tighten at the possibility of him leaving.

“i’m just saying, i don’t know what you’re going through, but i want to help if i can. so, whaddya say?”

Apparently, he had nothing to say. Red practically jumped him, finally letting go of his restraints. He wrapped his arms around Sans and smashed their mouths together, pushing him backwards even though it meant falling off the crate—

—and onto the soft mattress of Red’s bed.

The change in scenery didn’t slow them down as they shed each other of clothing like their lives depended on it. Red never took his hands fully off Sans, as if there was an instinctive fear that he would suddenly be gone. He buried his face into the crook of Sans’s neck, muffling his desperate, needy sounds as he pushed into him the first time. He felt the gentle squeeze of Sans’s hand on the back of his neck as he moved, too overwhelmed for words but reassuring intent flowing openly between them. Sans didn’t muffle himself at all, panting and moaning against the side of Red’s skull as he was thoroughly worked over.

It wasn’t long before Red came, holding onto Sans so tightly his bony fingers dug into him. He couldn’t help the way he shook afterwards. Sans ran his fingers up and down Red’s spine, whispering sweet reassurances to him.

“that was great…let’s keep going…”

It was a few hours before they settled, Sans against Red’s chest, a pleasant buzz thrumming between them. Most of the fogginess that had skewed Red’s mind throughout the day finally cleared, although he could still feel the wanton desire slowly building itself back up. That was alright, for the first time he didn’t feel like the mindless animal he thought he was condemned to be during his heats.

“so, did i meet your expectations?” Sans grinned up at him. At Red’s puzzled look, he continued, “you said you’d been thinking about all of us. was it what you expected?”

Red scratched the side of his head and grinned back, “Well, considering I pictured you giving it your all for about two minutes and then falling asleep…”

Sans laughed so honestly Red couldn’t help but join him.

Outside the room, Edge gripped at his chest through the coat he was still wearing. He’d never heard Red laugh during his heat before. He didn’t think he could. It brought a smile to his face. The others had insisted that Sans would take care of his brother, and it seemed that was true. He turned to leave them to their devices, and knew that things on the surface would most certainly be different from now on.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know if you enjoyed it :)


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